


Eat You Alive

by ShaqTheRipper



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age II, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/F, F/M, Romance, Solavellan, Werewolf, Werewolf AU, doctor!Solas
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-12
Updated: 2017-03-09
Packaged: 2018-04-26 01:04:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 11,564
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4983892
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShaqTheRipper/pseuds/ShaqTheRipper
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Shiva Lavellan is a well-known street artist who always manages to get herself into trouble attempting to stay anonymous. Dr. Solas Otsoa always seems to be patching up her mysterious injuries, and perhaps has a few secrets of his own.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Emergency Response

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first Solavellan AU. Let me know if you like it!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Help me I've fallen into Solavellan hell and I can't get up.  
> I'm going through and posting edits for each chapter as of 3/7/17. Expect some new content very soon.

Sitting in the ER winding a dirty cloth around her bleeding hand was not how Shiva has hoped her evening would unfold.

"Miss Lavellan?" a voice came from the door to her left. "Follow me, please."

She stood up, picking up her black drawstring backpack, and followed the nurse through the door and through a narrow hallway and around a corner into a room. Her bag clanged with the sound of hollow metal as they walked, and she quickly shoved it out of sight in the examination room. Following a suspicious look, he unraveled the grease-stained cloth from her hand, giving her a questioning look.

"It was all I could find." She blurted out. Her eyes were wide and frightened as she saw the wound exposed to the light, and she felt faint at the sight of the blood.

The nurse sighed, and scratched his stubble. "You've really done it this time." he tutted quietly. "Why couldn't you enjoy doing something more, I don't know, legal?" He shook his head and smiled lightly. Holding her wound shut, he disinfected it and applied a healing antibiotic cream on top of the wound. The bleeding went through the ointment he had put on her, so he quickly wrapped it in gauze. "Hold this. I'll get the doctor in in just a moment." he instructed, forming her hand into a fist.

"Thanks, Anders." Shiva offered weakly. He flashed a sympathetic glance at her, and walked out the door. Anders had been her friend for several years, following the first time she had gotten too drunk at a college party and he was still a nursing student. She had begged him, a complete stranger, to take her home, and then promptly passed out in his car. They got to know each other quite well the morning after, during which she had spent the majority of the day puking into his trash bin from the couch and asking for various bland foods. Somehow, all these years later, they had built a friendship from that.

The door clicked shut behind him, prompting Shiva to stand up quickly. Looking around the room, she saw the box of small latex gloves, and grabbed two fistfuls of them before quickly stowing them in her bag. 'These will come in handy later,' she thought, hiding them under the cans of spray paint. She swiftly stuffed the bag under the patient's chair and sat back down as the doctor entered the room.

"Doctor Otsoa." He extended his hand.

Shiva avoided taking it. "We've met." She said tersely, and held her bloodied hand to him. He eyed her warily, and reached over to put on a pair of gloves. He paused, looking at the emptied box, and unlocked the cabinet below to open a fresh pack. Anders came back in the room to drop off a tray of supplies, and then exited as quickly as he had come. The doctor slipped on his gloves, sat down on a rolling stool, and scooted up towards Shiva.

He unwrapped the gauze gingerly, sharply inhaling as he saw the deep cut exposed. "Hold it just like that." he instructed, keeping her palm faced up. He prepped his needle and surgical thread. "What was it today? The stairs again?" he asked, bemused. "Or perhaps it was your cat this time?"

Shiva scoffed. "I cut my hand."

"How very observant of you." The doctor responded sarcastically. Shiva winced as he put the needle through her skin. "I at least would like to know what it was that injured you this time. In the case of infection..."

"It was some wire. I was making a sculpture." She lied. "I saw a cute DIY Andraste sculpture on Pinterest I wanted to try out."

"Of course you did." He replied dryly, a look of obvious distrust on his face. He pulled the last stitch through, and reached over to clip it. "Take better care of yourself, lethallan." He rolled his chair back. "I hope to not see you in here for a while."

Shiva scoffed. "I'm just clumsy." She stood up, and snatched her bag surreptitiously. "See you around, Doc." she hurried out the room.

"I bet I will." He grumbled under his breath.


	2. Drinking Buddies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to all of you who have given me kudos and subscriptions so far! I'll try to update as frequently as I can. Hopefully I'll have another chapter out in a few days!

Shiva unpacked her supplies onto her unmade bed. Six cans of paint, a handful of gloves, and a few very battered stencils. She shook one of the cans, and heard the hollow tin rolling noise.

'Guess I'm almost out.' she thought bitterly, tossing the can to the corner. It clanged against the wall, and a frightened yip could be heard in response.

"Danyla!" She panicked. The pure white Great Dane clicked her little paws against the floor as she ran to Shiva's side, tail between her legs. "I'm sorry, baby." She pet the massive dog's neck affectionately. Looking back to her supplies, she was anxiously reminded that she needed to go shopping soon.

Saying that the tiny home was messy was a kindness. Stacks of hospital bills covered the kitchen counter, and piles of clothes lay scattered throughout her bedroom. Photos, images ripped from magazines, art prints, doodles from friends, phone numbers, and everything else imaginable could be found tacked on her wall, making it near impossible to determine the color of the wallpaper underneath. Ashtrays were scattered throughout the house, filled with dirty ash and butts smoked to the filter. The bed was filled with candy wrappers and half-read books, but that didn't stop her from flopping down on it. She pulled a cracked hand mirror out from under the pillow, and rummaged through her end table for some cosmetics. She mussed her short silver hair as best she could, still looking as though she had just rolled out of bed. She noticed her black roots, and cringed.

'I guess I'll have to do a root touch up soon.' she thought, fiddling with her hair once more. Once satisfied with her intentional dishevelment, she lined her eyes with thick black liner, and popped on some dark plum lipstick. Considering her reflection, she wondered if the look seemed childish on her pale, freckled skin. Her vallaslin remained a dark brown under her eyes and along her temples. She contemplated covering it up, but decided against it. Tonight wasn't for that. She had just cut her hand open, after all.

Satisfied with her look, she stood up from the bed and snapped her fingers. "Come on, Danyla." she ordered. Her dog stood up, short tail wagging. Shiva groped through her closet and threw on a dark denim jacket. Keys, wallet, check. She had just about everything... Wait. No.

She ran back, snatching a ratted old messenger bag, and proceeded to exit her house, Danyla running happily to meet up with her. ‘Just in case’ She thought, patting the bag securely against her side. She didn’t want to be without her tools should inspiration strike. Shiva retrieved her phone from her pocket and opened her texts.

SERA xx  
11:02 PM  
gtfo ur house slut

SERA xx  
11:02 PM  
we have shit 2 do

SERA xx  
11:03 PM  
places t go

She snorted. Only a few minutes late, and of course her best friend was losing it.

11:09 PM  
on my way.  
PS- fuck you.

She clicked her phone off, satisfied. She walked along the path through the alleys outside of her house, the journey so familiar that Danyla sprinted ahead of her excitedly. They came to a ramshackle house that looked as though it was built solely with rusted steel beams and dust.

"Sera!" Shiva shouted. "I'm gonna steal your car if you don't get out here."

"Jussa minnit!" came a rushed response from inside the steel structure. A pair of tiny feet could be heard stomping down the stairs, and the front door flew open not a moment after. A tiny punky elf came stumbling out of the doorway, toting a huge black duffel bag behind her. "Hey. Elfy." She waved her car keys in the air. "Ge' in."  
Danyla yipped excitedly and ran to the back of the car, bouncing on her paws. Shiva opened the rusted old door of her friend's car, letting her jump in and find a comfortable spot to lay on. The trunk creaked open, and it slammed shut as Sera tossed in her massive bag. They entered the car, and Sera tried to start it with her key. After a few attempts, and an alarming whirring noise, the car roared to life.

"Off we go." Sera smiled at Shiva slyly, and put her foot to the gas.

The ride was bumpy, and Sera had a strict policy of sharp turns, not paying heed to traffic lights or stop signs, and blasting the worst punk music possible at top volume. Shiva rolled down the manual window and stuck her head out. The trees flew by them and the wind whipped her short hair against her face. The stars were just starting to come out, and the moon shone bright on the streets.

"Ow OW!" Shiva howled, laughing from sheer giddiness. Sera followed suit, and they took turns shouting, howling, and screaming obscenities out the windows together. By the time they had arrived to their destination, they were in a fit of giggles.

They had arrived at an old warehouse. It was covered in graffiti, and there was most definitely a party going on inside. Colorful strobe lights shot out of the high windows, and the dull thump of bass could be heard from outside.

"Let's get in there and nab a few drinks before they're all gone, yeah?" Sera banged her door shut and looked excitedly at Shiva. Danyla pawed at the window, and Sera opened the door to let her out.

"Hold up." Shiva fished around in her purse for a moment, and pulled a cigarette free of its pack and a lighter out. She cupped her palm over the tip while she tried to light it, and got it after a few tries. She took a deep pull from her cigarette, and responded after a moment. "Lead the way." she eyed Sera, a smile at the corner of her lips.

They entered the warehouse, and were immediately hit with the loud music. The place was full of people drinking, dancing, and chatting. Sera waved over to someone in a corner.

"Velanna's here!" Sera nudged Shiva, her eyes wide. "Whoa. She's elfy, but... Whoa." She sighed.

Shiva laughed. "I'll go get us some drinks." She offered, and Sera went off to join her friend.

This was the usual. The parties were almost all the same. The same crowd would get drunk listening to the same music, and Shiva would always talk to the same four people before either her or Sera got too drunk to drive, and then they would take the same route home, and they would pass out on the same couches, ready to replay the whole thing the next day. It wasn't much of a way to live, but there wasn't much else to do for an elven degenerate in Haven. The town was small, religious, and very judgmental. The only thing it was worth in Shiva's opinion, was the blank building walls she had yet to cover in art.

Sighing with this thought, Shiva dropped her shoulders and headed over to the bar.

"Two." She lazily held up two fingers to the bartender.

"Well, if it isn't the Herald of Andraste herself!" He smiled at her. She rolled her eyes.

"Shut it, Dorian. I get it. It was in bad taste. Can we just let it go?" She huffed.

"Quite the contrary." Dorian fetched two chilled glasses and held them to the tap. "I think it was a hilarious decision to tag a chantry. I'm just more interested in the story behind it."

"Perhaps another time." She took the filled glasses in one hand distractedly. "I have to find Velanna before Sera steals her away for the night." She stuck her hand in her pocket, and pulled out a few bronze coins that she left on the counter. "I'll catch you later, dude."

"Of course, Herald." He teased, leaning over the counter to help another customer. "So, the Iron Bull, is it?" Shiva could hear him inquiring of another patron.

She headed to the table in the back, in which a few new people had joined. "Hey, Sera." She pounded the drink on the space in front of her friend, making the table shake. "Here's your fucking drink. Now move your ass so I can sit."

"My, my. The Herald herself is gracing us with her presence!" The woman named Velanna teased, scooting over in the booth to make room.

"Yeah, well..." Shiva sat down and took a long swill of her drink. "...Fuck the chantry." Her response was met with laughter.

"You're ridiculous." another woman chimed in. Shiva's heartbeat quickened as she saw the woman run her fingers through her hair and move to leave the booth. "I'm going to dance." She stood up, her skin already glistening with sweat from the overheated room. Shiva stared as the woman crossed the room and danced, her perfect hips twisting with the beat, and her plentiful breasts bouncing with each movement. She sighed and returned her attention to the table.

"Just talk to her." Sera chimed in. Shiva looked over, and she already had her arm around Velanna. "It's not that hard. 'Hey, sexy pirate. I want at your booty.'" She laughed at her own joke.

"I can't." Shiva ran her fingers through her hair, and rested her head on the table. "Isabela's way out of my league. She's too hot for me." She groaned and thudded her forehead against the table.

"Drink." Velanna ordered. Shiva sat back up reluctantly and raised her glass. "Then we'll get you nice and distracted."

The night got blurrier as Shiva finished her drink, and then another few. Sooner than she would have liked, she found herself dancing to the pulsing beat of some overly produced electro music she hated. What she didn't hate was having Isabela's slick body moving so close to hers, close enough that Shiva could smell her skin. Hot, musky, and sexy. Her arousal peaked when Isabela took her by the waist and swayed with their bodies pressed up against one another. She radiated pure sex. Shiva was overcome with lust, and it wasn't until Sera took her by the arm that she let her go.

"Whassat?" Shiva slurred, surprised by the interruption.

"You're blasted." Sera commented, unimpressed. "Come on. I'm taking you back." Shiva noticed that her dog was already at Sera's side, whining. Sera got a better hold on Shiva’s wrist, and pulled her unwilling friend out from the throng of dancers.

"Just a little longer?" Shiva pleaded.

"No." Sera rolled her eyes. "Get out, get in, or I'm leaving you for the night." She started to head to the door, still pulling her friend along. Shiva followed reluctantly, complaining the whole way out to the car. Her complaints turned into mumbled sighs and exasperated noises during the ride home, in which Sera dropped her off right in front of her house. Shiva exited the car with Danyla, and leaned in through the window to face Sera.

"Thaaaank you, Sera." She drawled. Sera rolled her eyes again, sighing.

"We need to get you laid." She muttered. She drove away as soon as Shiva found the strength to stand up on her own.

She drunkenly fumbled for her house keys in her pocket, realizing she had left her bag in Sera's car.... or at the party. She was too drunk to care, really. The keys fell from her fingers, numb from the cold, onto the dirt of her front lawn. As she got down on her hands and knees to find them, she saw something that made her look twice.

Standing in her driveway was a large, hulking creature. It could have perhaps been a cougar, but it had sharp, pointed ears. Its bright blue eyes glowed in the dim streetlight, and Shiva felt a sobering chill run down her spine.

"Danyla!" She panicked. Her dog bounced over to her happily, not yet noticing the massive creature watching their every move. Shiva grabbed her by the collar and rushed her inside, making sure every door and window was locked. Not that it mattered when it came to a creature like that. Whatever it was could just break her windows to get in if it wanted to.

She shook the thought from her mind. No. That was too much stress for the night. Hopefully, if her house was broken into and the beast ate her, Danyla would have time to run away. Yeah. That's what mattered.

She pulled her curtains together, undressed, and slipped into bed. Closing her eyes, she felt herself too tired to stay from sleep. Her initial panic had eased into a disbelief of what she had seen, and her dreams were then filled with the glowing blue eyes.


	3. Hospital

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 3/7/17 Updating and adding more content. Enjoy!

Shiva awoke to a loud rapping on her door. Groggy and tired-eyed, she slid out of bed onto the floor, landing on her rear with a loud thump. Mumbling profanities, she slowly stood up.

"Just a minute!" she shouted at the door, her voice cracking. She passed by her mirror, noticing that she hadn't bothered to remove her makeup from the night before. Quickly, she found a makeup-removing wipe to try to fix her looks, but her eyes remained stubbornly grayed with smudged liner.

She sluggishly made her way to the door, not bothering to check the peephole before opening. Who she opened the door to gave her the shock of her life.

A tall, slim man stood in front of her. He was sharply dressed, wearing a fitted gray suit, and it took a moment for Shiva to recognize him without the medical mask and scrubs she was so used to seeing him in.

"Doc?" She questioned, visibly uncomfortable by the surprise house call. "You don’t exist outside of the hospital. What's going on? Why are you here?" she took a step back into her home and held the door handle tightly.

"I would prefer 'Doctor Otsoa'." he responded irritably. "I suppose your visits to emergency care have been frequent enough for me to be considered your doctor. But that isn't why I'm here."

"No, no, wait a moment." Shiva stepped forward, facing him head on. Or, well, as close as she could get. Doctor Otsoa nearly two feet taller than her. "What's your name? Your first name, I mean?"

He sighed irritably. "I suppose you don't read your hospital invoices, then." He mumbled. "My first name is Solas." He stated. "However, I-"

"So you are Dalish, yeah?" Shiva cut him off. "That's Elvhen. Were you adopted, or something?" she narrowed her eyes. "...Married, perhaps?"

"Irrelevant." He huffed, clearly frustrated at the detour in conversation. "I came only to give you back this." He picked up a black messenger bag from behind him, and tossed it on her welcome mat.

"How did you-" She leant forward and peeked inside the bag quickly. "Where did you find this?" she demanded instantly, snatching the bag.

"You left this at the party." He looked at her like she was an idiot. "I found this at a booth in the back, and I figured that it must belong to you."

"I never..." Shiva's eyes trailed to her bag, suspiciously. "Did you look through it?" She knew the answer before he responded.

"I had to." He responded. "I needed to figure out who it belonged to. What would you suggest I should have done? Left it to be stolen by another?" He shook his head, frustrated. "I came here to return your bag, and instead I find myself being interrogated by a child."

"A child?" Shiva hissed. The word stung against her lips. "Has anyone ever told you that you're an asshole?" she spat aggressively. Solas snorted.

"You aren't the first." He mumbled, rubbing his eyes. "Look, I came here just to give this to you." He repeated. "I'll be on my way." He turned to leave yet again.

"Wait!" Shiva stopped him, holding up a hand hesitantly. He stopped walking and peered over his shoulder at her. "Why were you even there? You got a square job, why’d you chill with that crowd?" She cleared her throat in the following silence, feeling uncomfortable.

Solas let out a sharp laugh. "You assume that I don't like to have fun, too." He shook his head, and headed off to his car. Shiva watched him leave and closed the door slowly, not taking her eyes off him.

Something was fishy. She wasn't sure what that could mean, but her mind was filled with wild possibilities and speculations for the rest of the evening.

***

"Doctor Otsoa."

"Yes?"

"There's another one in the lobby. Can I send her in yet?"

"Go ahead." Solas sighed, rubbing his temples as the nurse left his office. Another one? When will people realize that dracolisks are wild animals, he wondered. He had been primarily treating burns all morning so far, thanks to what Solas assumed was a foolish merchant who had attempted (and failed) to domesticate these beasts. He stood up from his soft leather chair, and moved to the door. Another day spent fixing the messes of others. Nothing new for him.

As he entered the examination room, he saw a small Elvhen girl with her hand wrapped in a damp towel looking sadly at the ground.

"So, ah..." He flipped through her chart briefly. "...Merrill, is it? What brings you in today?"

"Oh!" She seemed startled at his presence, though he hadn't been particularly quiet upon entering the room. "I've got a-"

"Burn." Solas finished for her, sighing and looking through his chart again. "I've read your paperwork. This is the dracolisk problem, from what I understand?" He tutted in disapproval quietly as he started to fetch the various supplies he needed from around the room.

"Well, yes. No." Merrill hesitated, looking at Solas with an expression of fear. "It's- I-..." She trailed off nervously.

"Well?" He rolled his eyes out of sight from her.

"Hawke was trying to... Oh, please, don't get her in trouble!" Merrill looked worried.

Solas held up a hand to stop her. "Was it a dracolisk?" He asked simply. She nodded fervently. "Did it bite you?" He followed up. She nodded again. He set himself to work on patching her up. She winced as he applied the antibiotic cream, and he noticed that the bite was not only quite deep, but infected as well.

"Were you trying to... pet it?" He asked incredulously. Merrill looked to the side, ashamed. Solas sighed once more, and finished dressing the wound.

"Doctor?" She confronted him nervously. He turned to meet her gaze. "Where are your..." She stared at his face. "You don't act like a city elf, I mean..." It took him a moment, but then he suddenly understood.

"That's personal." He snapped. "Not all elves follow your antiquated traditions." He held the door open. "You may leave."

"Oh, I, ah..." She fumbled with her fingers nervously as she stood up. "I'm so sorry, I just-"

"Out." His patience was wearing thin. She skittered out of the room, and he slammed the door behind him.

Why were all of the elves he met so obsessed with being an elf? It didn't make sense to him. There was something shameful about it. Something left unsaid. The vallaslin, such as Merrill was alluding to, were getting so popular that even the non-elves were getting them as a fashion statement. It disgusted him. Those markings were more than a trend, and he felt sick to his stomach whenever he saw a youth parading their new tattoos around as though they meant something good. He knew better.

After taking a few moments to breathe deeply through his frustrations. he left the room and headed towards the hospital cafeteria. It wasn't a busy hour yet, and he found it much easier to get his food than usual. As he paid for a bag of chips and a drink, he noticed a familiar face at a table nearby.

"Hey, Solas!" A tiny hand shot up in his peripheral vision. Shiva waved at him wildly. Across from her sat a mildly embarrassed Anders, hiding his face in his hands.

"I'd prefer if you'd not call me by my first name." He instructed, but his words fell on deaf ears. She waved her bandaged hand at him again.

"Maybe I'll see you at one of those parties, eh, Solas?" She winked. He sighed disgustedly.

"I will be seeing you to get those stitches out, Lavellan." He straightened his posture subconsciously. "And, please. I am at my work. Refer to me as Doctor Otsoa."

She rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Whatever, ha'hren." She resumed her meal, which he noticed was a home-packed lunch she shared with the nurse. He felt his expression soften as Anders let out a groan and plucked the sausage off of her raised fork.

"That's for antagonizing my boss." He popped it into his mouth, and Shiva stared at him, her expression stunned with the fork still raised to her lips. Solas chuckled quietly as he walked away. He hadn't always liked Anders, but his personality had grown on him. Not unlike a fungus.

Solas could hear the two friends bickering at their table as the doors to the cafeteria swung shut behind him. He let out a breath of air he didn't realize he had been holding.

It could be worse, he decided as he closed the door to his office.


	4. The Fourth Chapter

"Come on, tell me!" Shiva insisted, kicking Anders' leg under the table. He winced.

"It's illegal for me to-"

"Anders!"

Anders sighed, and pushed his half-eaten lunch tray away from him. He sighed dejectedly. "Alright, alright!" He waved his hands vaguely at her. "But keep it down, will you?"

Shiva re-settled herself in her seat, and looked forward attentively.

"There was a gentleman in here earlier, who..." His words trailed off, and he was looking nervously around him. More quietly, he continued, "We rushed in a man from The Blooming Rose who has been found unconscious in his leather bindings. He had been tied up for so long, that his skin had swelled around the rope, and we had to surgically remove it, and kind of... Peel it out of his skin." Anders raised his eyebrows at Shiva, who shuddered involuntarily.

"Who the hell would-" Shiva started, but was cut off by Anders shaking his head quickly.

"That, I can't tell you."

"Oh, come on!" Shiva whined. "Do I know him?" she looked pleadingly at Anders. He shook his head again.

"No! I mean, yes." He sighed, aggravated. "I mean I can't tell you. I really shouldn't have said anything." His cheeks were pink from embarrassment, and he was rubbing his temples.

Shiva laughed, and leaned over to punch him in the shoulder. She missed, and nearly fell out of her chair. Anders snorted, rolling his eyes at her.

"So, now I have a question for you." He leaned in, a mischievous look in his eyes.

"What is it?" She reached into her bag, and pulled a cigarette from its pack. Anders smacked her hand away.

"We are in a HOSPITAL CAFETERIA, Shiva." Anders whispered forcibly, his eyes glinting angrily. Shiva paled, and hastily stuffed it back in her pack. "What, might I ask," he began "did you mean when you said you would see my boss around?"

Shiva snorted. "I guess he was at one of those parties I go to out with my crew."

"Doesn't surprise me," Anders noted as he stabbed a Capri Sun with a straw.

"What? No, you're joking." Shiva scoffed. Anders gave a sound of disapproval as he drank his juice.

"He owns a lot of property on the edge of town." He insisted, crushing the juice packet in his hand. "It's not common knowledge, but he's bought up most of the side of town that was destroyed in the riots six years ago."

"Oh." Shiva quieted. That still didn't answer much for her. "Well, you seem to know a lot about this already.

"I only know what Doctor Otsoa tells me." He shrugged.

"Come with me later!" Shiva suggested excitedly. "I know you've been wanting to see me work for a while."

"Perhaps another time," he said hesitantly. "I've got plans tonight."

"Oh? More exciting and fantastic than seeing me in action?" She flexed jokingly.

"Marian and I are paying respects at her family's grave plot this evening." He responded quietly, avoiding eye contact.

"Oh." Shiva felt uncomfortable. After a moment's hesitation, she pat his shoulder gently. "I, ah..."

"It's alright." He offered her a weak smile, brushing her hand off. "I'll text you, and we can hang out another time."

"Alright." Shiva stood up, pushing her chair up behind her. "I'll be heading out to prep my shit. See you around?"

"Of course." Anders stayed seated, and held up a hand to wave.

"Tell your girlfriend I said hi." She leaned over and gave him a quick hug, and carried their trays over to the trash. She waved at him as she slipped out the door and headed to the back exit.

She passed the bustling medical staff, seemingly invisible amongst them. She stood in the hallway for a moment, disoriented. These people were beyond her in terms of intelligence, social status, and all had degrees that qualified them to work there. Amongst them, she felt small. The world would keep moving if she were to disappear from it, and nobody would notice. It was a dizzying feeling that hit her all at once. She started walking to the door again. Perhaps no one would notice her now, but if she were to work hard... She wouldn't ever be forgotten.

The back doors opened up, the brightness from the sun blinding her momentarily. In a move of pure inspiration and perhaps stupidity, she headed around the corner, and emptied out her bag on the ground. Her stencils, cans of paint, and paint rags all came tumbling out. Tentatively, she reached for the can of black, and raised it to the wall.


	5. Isabela

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey yo! Here's the next chapter. Translations are at the end c:

Shiva was awoken the next morning by Danyla's wet nose sniffing her face. She stretched and sat up from her bed, still in a sleepy daze. Glancing over to her nightstand, she saw her phone light up with a new message. She swiped it to the home screen, and groaned.

41 unread messages

She flopped back down on her bed, not ready to deal with what she already knew was going to happen. She hit her hand against her bedframe accidentally, and she winced as she felt the site of her injury sting. Danyla sniffed her hand curiously, and Shiva pulled it sharply away. At least this reminded her to apply the healing ointment.

Shiva stretched and climbed out of bed. She glanced through her glass sliding door, and noticed there were huge, dark paw prints in the mud outside. It was even bigger than Danyla's prints. It reminded her of the creature she had seen in her driveway just the other day, and she tried to shake it off. Only a huge animal could have left those prints. Halja would have known what it was. No. Now was not the time to think about her sister. She felt a pang of sadness in her gut, and she turned away, trying to forget what she had seen.

The daytime passed quickly, with little else to do but chain-smoke and wander the city. By dinnertime, Shiva had nearly finished her pack of menthols, and was getting bored. Her phone had not stopped buzzing all day, and she had avoided reading any of her messages. Social interaction seemed too draining for that day.

Once again her phone buzzed, and she contemplated throwing it across the street. Instead, she sighed and pulled it from her pocket.

87 unread messages

She spat her cigarette out on the ground and stomped on it to put it out, and headed inside a small locally owned diner. Not bothering to wait for seating, she slid into an empty booth and kicked her feet up on the table.

"Time to see the damages." She mumbled quietly to herself, unlocking her phone and scrolling through her texts.

Anders  
3:23 AM  
I saw your handiwork.  
Don't come visit for a while.

Anders  
3:40 AM  
I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings.

Anders  
3:46 AM  
If anyone finds out that it was you, my job would be in jeopardy.  
You're my friend after all.

Anders  
3:50 AM  
Shiva?

Anders  
4:04 AM  
I realize now you're probably asleep. Call me when you're up.

Anders  
4:04 AM  
We need to talk about this.

SERA xx  
4:20 AM  
420 BLAZE IT

Varric T  
7:12 AM  
That new piece one of yours?

Varric T  
7:12 AM  
More minimalist than I'm use to from you, but it's not bad.

Varric T  
7:15 AM  
Nothing? I'm disappointed.

Varric T  
7:17 AM  
Let me know if you change your mind about that interview.

$$$ HAWKE B-)  
8:00 AM  
do you know anyone who would want a dracolisk as a pet? asking for a friend.

Shiva scrolled through the rest of them. More from Varric, Sera, and a few other excitable friends... Her heart skipped a beat when she saw a different name flash on her screen.

♥Isabela♥  
10:08 AM  
Meet up for drinks and a chat soon? xxx

The rest of the messages didn't matter. For now, all she was concerned with was getting back to Isabela as quickly as possible.

6:50 PM  
shit i'm sorry  
i didn't check my phone till just now  
still down to meet up?

She waited what felt like an agonizingly long time for a response, until she heard a tapping on her table. Looking up, she noticed a man with a sour expression on his face and a pad and pen in his hands staring at her. He wore a dirty brown apron, and his nametag was a worn post-it note with "NATHANIEL" scribbled in permanent marker. He pursed his lips, forming a scowl that looked like someone had just kicked his favorite puppy.

"Are you going to pay this time?" He asked bitterly. Shiva let out a nervous laugh, to which he sighed. "And get your dirty boots off the table."

Shiva reluctantly pulled her legs under the table, rolling her eyes. She rifled through her bag and lifted a heavy coinpurse from her satchel. It jingled with coins as she let it drop to the table. "I'm feeling roast venison with blackberry sauce tonight." She shrugged, propping her elbows up on the table.

"I think we've got some venison in the freezer." He mumbled, writing it down on his pad. "You're lucky our cook is Dalish,” he said right before he turned and headed to the kitchen. Shiva checked her phone. Still no response from Isabela. She sighed and turned her phone down on the table. If she got a text, it would buzz violently on the table and she would know. In the meantime, she wanted to try to distract herself.

Sighing loudly, she kicked her feet up on the table again and leaned back in the booth. She continued to eye her phone for the next while, willing it to buzz. Nothing happened. The minutes ticked by as she gave up entirely on distractions and stared at her phone. She was just about ready to give up, when her phone lit up. It was in her hands before it buzzed, and she swiped, eager to see the message.

  
♥Isabela♥  
7:15 PM  
Come by my place later. See you  
  


See you? What was that supposed to mean? When did she want her over? Questions swirled in the little elf's mind that were only interrupted by Nathaniel dropping her plate of food on the table with disdain. The plate clattered on the table, somehow miraculously not spilling its contents onto the floor. The silverware was thrown with the same abandon, and as Shiva raised a hand to sheepishly ask for a napkin, he pulled several from his apron and tossed them at her. Most of them ended up on the floor.

'Someone's in a bad mood.' she thought bitterly, leaning down to pick up the fallen napkins. Despite being handled so carelessly, the food looked incredible. She retrieved her knife from across the table, and used it to gingerly spread the thick blackberry sauce on the meat. It glistened a dark purple, almost black, in the light. There were hints of elfroot cooked in, and she felt her stomach gurgle audibly.

The food was fantastic. It reminded her of the food her sister used to cook back on the reservation. The sour pang of longing for her family struck her like an arrow, and she sucked in deeply and held her breath to hold back tears. The knife cut off more pieces of meat, until it was all arranged on her plate in little squares. Her fork pushed the pieces around, fixing them into different shapes as she stared sadly into her plate. She could hear Halja reminding her in the back of her mind to not play with her food. It had been years since she had last seen her. She tried not to think of that, and took another bite.

Soon, the only remnant of the meal was the empty plate on the table. The twisted feeling in her gut lingered from earlier. It was with reluctance that she stood up from the booth and dropped several coins onto the table. She waved at Nate, who shot her an annoyed look, and headed out.

It was getting late already. Checking the glow of her screen, her phone read 8:50 PM. How did it get so late? That made no sense to her. She was in the café for... Well, shit.

Her phone hadn't gone off at all since earlier, and she was wondering what to do. She tried to call Isabela, but the phone went straight to voicemail.

'Great. Her phone is dead.' she thought bitterly. Deciding to just head over to her place instead, she shoved the phone in her bag and turned around in the direction of Isabela's apartment.

The streets were muddy and slippery from the moderate sprinkles of rain that day, and Shiva watched her step so as not to slip. As she got closer to Isabela's home, it seemed as though the streetlamps were getting dimmer. Perhaps it was just her mind. Regardless, she trudged forward, ignoring the fear she felt rising up in her throat. Ahead of her, she saw the dirty brown building. If her memory served her correctly, Isabela lived on the bottom floor. That would be easy enough.

She trudged up to the door and knocked. Her boots were covered in mud, and so she tried to wipe some of it off on the welcome mat. It didn't help much. No one came to the door, and so she raised her clenched fist to it again, but stopped as she heard yelling from inside.

"I thought you said it didn't matter who I saw!" came an angry male voice Shiva didn't recognize.

"Yeah, well, you certainly know how to make things awkward!" a voice she did recognize shouted back. That must have been Isabela.

"I didn't mean to offend you! I had no idea you two even knew each other!"

"Stop it already, Fenris! You don't know anything, do you?"

"Bela, how is it that you can fuck whomever you want, but as soon as I decide to-"

"Enough!"

Shiva's hand was still frozen, ready to knock at the door when it opened to a stern-faced elf. His face reddened as he saw her, making his white vallaslin-like markings stand out more.

“I didn’t mean to interrupt, I’m-” Shiva started, a pit of fear growing in her stomach.

"Who the fuck are you?" He demanded angrily. "Eavesdropping? Well?!"

Shiva paled and took a step back. "I- I was just here to see Isabela." She stammered.

The man rolled his eyes. "Isabela? You've got another groupie here to see you." He said in an exasperated tone. "Shall I take care of her for you?"

"Whatever." She heard Isabela respond from another room.

"What?" Shiva was confused. "Isabela, it's Shiva! You asked me to-" she suddenly lost the ability to speak as the man's fist connected with her jaw.

"Leave us alone, stranger." he stepped closer to her as she cupped her jaw in shock.

"Venavis! Ma halam!" Shiva shouted through the pain. The elf advanced on her, either ignoring her words or not understanding.

"Leave." He commanded. Shiva stood her ground, trying to not show the fear that was coursing through her veins.

"Isabela!" She shouted. That earned her a swift punch in the gut. She gagged, and fell to the ground.

"What did I say?!" He shouted at her. She only whimpered in response.

"Bela-" She choked out, interrupted by a kick to the ribs. She shouted in pain, feeling something crack. She had trouble breathing, and the stranger continued to kick her until she was just shivering in a ball on the ground. Isabela stepped out and looked at Shiva with distaste. Shiva pleaded at her with her eyes, but she sighed and knelt down.

"Sorry, love." She whispered, and pulled Shiva's coinpurse from her bag. She pulled out the few gold coins Shiva had, pocketed them, and rifled through her bag once more. Deciding she was done, she threw the much lighter coinpurse back in, and walked back inside. The man stared down at her smugly.

"Fened'his lasa, palas na'mamae." She spat at him, covering his lower pant leg in her blood. He raised his leg and kicked her once more before heading in and slamming the door, much more sharply than he had before. She tried to breathe in, but felt a sharp, stabbing pain in her chest. She tried again and felt herself panic as her vision blurred and she fought for oxygen. Out of her peripheral vision, she saw a large, dark figure approach her.

She gave one last feeble attempt at breath, and then...

Nothing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:
> 
> Venavis! Ma halam!: Stop! You are done!
> 
> Fened'his lasa, palas na'mamae: Go fuck yourself with a wolf's dick, motherfucker


	6. That Hurt.

When Shiva awoke, she didn't know where she was.

The ceiling fan above her was on, and she watched it move slowly as she tried to process what had happened. She looked around the room. The walls were painted a deep burgundy, and she was laying on a black leather couch, A silver fur blanket was draped over her, and she noticed thick layers of gauze covering her injuries. She reached down to touch her ribs, and inhaled sharply at the pain.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." She heard a man's voice say. Scared, she turned her head and saw the last person she had expected to see. He stood at the end of the hallway, wearing a dark green bathrobe and holding a hot mug of tea in his hands. He walked over to her, and placed the steaming mug on the end table next to her.

"Solas?" she said nervously, astonished. "Where-"

"I found you outside as I was driving home." He said shortly. "It seemed the quickest way to get you help was to bring you with me." she tried to turn over on her side to see him better, but he put his hand on her shoulder gently to prevent her. "I'll help you sit up. You should be careful. You've got two rib fractures and a punctured lung." He helped her adjust to a sitting position, and he handed her the tea. She took a careful sip.

"Is my bag here?" She asked, suddenly panicked. "I need to send someone to check on Danyla!"

"Your dog?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. She nodded fervently. He pulled out his phone, and typed a quick message. He put it away after a few moments. "She'll be brought over soon. I've sent someone to get her for you." He said simply.

"Isn't this unethical?" She asked. "I mean, shouldn't I be in a hospital?"

Solas rolled his eyes. "You still haven't thanked me for saving your life."

"Well, uh-"

"We needed time. I suppose it could have been done differently, but I wasn't willing to risk it when I knew I could help you faster." He snapped, clearly unhappy with the way the conversation had turned. Shiva stayed silent, taken aback by the Solas' tone.

After a moment, Shiva cleared her throat. "Thank you, Solas." She said quietly. His frown softened into a small smile. "What, ah," she fumbled, looking for something to say. "What is this blanket? Made of, I mean."

"That?" Solas touched the soft fur. "That was a gift to me from one of my... friends." he finished awkwardly. "It's a an albino great bear pelt."

"Oh." Shiva responded, feeling suddenly uncomfortable. "Who gave it to you?"

"A friend" He replied tersely. The brief smile had disappeared from his face. "It's irrelevant. Drink your tea."

"Well, fine..." she took another sip of the tea. It tasted like the forest smelled, and she was pretty sure that was a bad thing. Her face twisted in disgust, and she placed the cup back on the table.

"Not a fan of tea either, I see." He commented brusquely, "That doesn't mean you are allowed to leave it unfinished, though." He motioned for her to pick it back up, and so she drank the rest of it reluctantly. She may not have liked the doctor, but she trusted him enough with her health. She wondered if that was a bit backwards. The tea made her stomach gurgle, and she covered her mouth reflexively.

"What the hell-" she looked around, and quickly grabbed a nearby vase. Just as she leaned over it, she felt Solas' hands sitting her back up forcefully.

"Please, try not to vomit." He held her in place, awkwardly patting her shoulder. "It's a Dalish health tonic. I thought you would be familiar with it. My apologies."

"Not this shit." She mumbled, her stomach lurching uncomfortably again. Her ribs ached with the sudden movement, but the pain wasn't as sharp as it was just minutes before. "This can't be just Elfroot."

"How observant of you." Solas replied. Shiva couldn't tell from his tone if he was mocking her or not. She decided not to stress about it, and laid her head back on the pillow. "It's a blend I modified with some different herbs. An older recipe. The taste is awful, I imagine, but it should help with your pain and help you heal faster."

"I thought you said this was a Dalish recipe?" Shiva shot him a look of frustration.

"Perhaps one more lost to the ages." He said vaguely. "In any case, I noticed the injury on your hand is infected." Shiva realized it was dressed in gauze already. "I took the liberty of cleaning and redressing it for you. I recommend you keep it iced for a while, and taking anti-inflammatory medication wouldn't hurt either." He finished.

"Will I be charged for this doctor's visit, Solas?" She laughed. He rolled his eyes.

"You can repay me by taking better care of yourself, and perhaps learning some self-defense."

"Hey!" she protested "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Was this another 'Pinterest' attempt that left you bloodied and beaten on the sidewalk?" He raised his eyebrows. Shiva pursed her lips. "I thought not."

"Well-" Shiva fumbled. "-thank you. Really."

Solas looked pleased, a genuine smile crossing his lips. "Get some rest, lethallan." He said gently. "I'll be in the other room. Let me know if you nee- hold on." He leaned over her, picking up her heavy bag from behind the couch. He was close enough that Shiva noticed a hint of expensive cologne. The scent still tingled in her nose after he pulled back. He pulled her phone out of the bag and dialed in a number. "That's my number. I don't want you straining your lungs by shouting for me. You can text or call me for anything, alright?" He patted her arm assuredly, and headed for the other room, leaving the phone in her hand.

Immediately, she checked her notifications. Nothing. She felt her stomach sink. Of course, she shouldn't have expected an explanation, but the back-stabbing she had experienced was from someone she trusted. The Isabela she knew wouldn't have robbed her and left her like that... Would she? The thought made her head spin. Or perhaps it was that strange tea Solas made her drink...

Shiva felt her eyelids get heavy, and before she could follow up the thought, she was asleep.


	7. Awakening

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all. As I mentioned, I'm trying to update more frequently. Forgive me if my writing isn't so polished- I'm currently going back through the chapters to edit them all so they read more smoothly. In the meantime, here's the next one.

_BZZZT. BZZZT. BZZZT._

The cellphone vibrated violently on the leather cushion until it fell on the plush carpet. Shiva reached her hand down and blindly groped at it until she found it. Swiping it to answer, she held it up to her ear and breathed in a sleepy sigh.

"...Hello?" the voice on the other end spoke after a long moment. Shit. She hadn't actually answered the call properly, had she?

"Hey... friend." She lifted the phone from her ear to see who was calling. It flashed a bright screen at her with the caller ID. Ah. Varric.

"You alright, Pipsqueak? I heard some nasty business went down."

"Varric, how do you know _everything_ that happens in this piece of shit town?" Shiva responded, exasperated.

"It's my job to know, kid." He let out a nervous laugh. "But, hey, are you alright?" He sounded noticeably more concerned.

"I'm... getting there." She managed hoarsely. Her throat was swollen and scratchy. She looked around, and found that Solas had left a fancy bottle of water out for her. How convenient.

"What happened... really?" Varric's voice was much softer now. Shiva felt bad lying to him. He'd just figure out the truth, anyhow.

"I... guess I wasn't the only one interested in Isabela." She managed.

"Yeah, no shit, kid." He forced a laugh. "Don't tell me you didn't know about Fenris?" the silence that followed was answer enough for him. "Oh... Shit. You didn't, did you?" He said after a moment.

"Well, I figured a bit out for myself. Thanks for the tip, _Varric_." She said more angrily than she had intended.

"I'm sorry, I thought you knew." He said gently. "What happened?"

"Why do you even want to know?" She snapped. "You gonna' tell more people so you can hurt my pride? Huh?"

"Woah, slow down." He said calmly. "I want to know, because I care. Take a breath, pipsqueak."

"I'm- I'm sorry." She didn't notice it before, but her heart was pounding. Glancing around, she saw that Solas wasn't nearby, so she continued quietly. "Fenris... I guess... That's his name, yeah?" she said nervously. "He... well, he kicked my ass." she admitted.

"...That's it?" Varric asked incredulously. Shiva felt mildly offended.

"Isabela stole a bit of my money, too, but I didn't have much on me." She muttered, embarrassed. "I really did get my ass handed to me, though. If it wasn't for-" she glanced to her right, and she could see a door open out of the corner of her eye. "...I've gotta go. I'll call you back later, alright?"

"Shiva-" he was cut short by her quickly ending the call. Not a moment later, Solas wandered into the room. He looked startled to see her meeting his eyes.

"Oh!" he said nervously. "I didn't expect you to be awake yet."

"I'm... well, I'm awake." Shiva responded, trying to catch her breath. Her heart was still pounding in her chest.

"...Alright, then." He answered awkwardly. "Someone's here to see you, by the way."

"Who would-" she was cut off abruptly by an excited yip. "-Danyla!" she shouted excitedly. The Great Dane came bounding into the room, covering Shiva's face in wet dog-kisses. She laughed happily, and wrapped her arms around her dog's neck. Her ribs sent shockwaves of pain throughout her body in response to the sudden movement. Ouch.

"Baby! Little sweet thing!" she cooed lovingly. Danyla flopped on her back, exposing her stomach to the ceiling and panting happily. Shiva glanced up at Solas, was unable to read his expression.

"She's quite large to be a 'little thing', isn't she?" he teased unexpectedly. Shiva met his gaze, unsure as to how to react.

"I... guess so?" she managed. "I've had her since she was a pup, so..." she gestured lamely.

"...Sure." Solas raised an eyebrow and stepped forward. He pulled something from his pocket and held it out to her. "I'm going to ask you to start taking these." he placed two full pill bottles on the coffee table next to her. "One is an antibiotic- it's this one," he pointed to the bottle on the left "with the blue pills. I'd like for you to take one every three or so hours. You already have one bad infection, and I'd like to prevent any further injury." He looked at her hand disdainfully. "The other is to treat the pain, if the tea I gave you stops helping. Please, do be careful with it." He looked at her sternly. "I don't take you for a junkie, so I'm entrusting you with this medication. Take no more than one at a time. Please." He repeated. Shiva felt uncomfortable under his gaze. “The collapse in your lung is barely an issue. It was caught early enough, so that I doubt you’ll need any hospitalization. The tea _should_ do the job to speed up your recovery as well, but this is just a precautionary measure.”

He lingered for a moment longer, and turned to leave the room. Once he was out of range, Shiva picked up the antibiotic bottle and shook out the pills. Nothing she recognized. Oh well. She took one, and carefully placed the bottle back on the table. The pain killers, however, had a name she _did_ recognize, and a small smile crept on her lips. She carefully shook out two little yellow pills, and swallowed it dry

 _‘Cole would be so jealous right now.’_ Shiva mused privately. _‘He used to pop this shit like candy...’_

Laying back down on the couch, she closed her eyes and waited for sleep to take her.


	8. Healing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Valentines day, everyone.
> 
> As promised, here's the next chapter, with the first bit of cuteness. (: 
> 
> Also, I was cackling when I wrote Hawke. I hope you enjoy her as much as I do!

The day had been a long one for Solas Otsoa. Leaving an injured twenty-something girl on his couch alone in his apartment was not his idea of an ideal arrangement. He had work to do, though, and he grimaced at the thought of the trouble she could cause. He sat down in the driver’s seat of his car, and slammed the door. He would have to put this from his mind for the time being.

Solas was a very conscientious driver. He nearly always drove the speed limit, except on the occasion of snow or rain, in which he drove much more slowly. This always got him honked at, and he was used to having people pass him and flip him the bird as soon as they were in front of him. He never let this bother him, however. Safety was paramount, and the way he saw it, it was a part of his moral code to minimize risk or harm to others. He thought of this as he pulled into his spot in the parking garage. His car gave a pathetic little ‘beep’ as he locked it, and he headed towards the stairwell. 

As he reached the bottom, he pushed the doors open to the employee entrance. He passed by groups of medical personnel working and chatting, and headed to the nurses’ station.

“Would you mind processing these for me?” Solas asked, sliding a folder across the counter to Anders. 

“Mhm,” Anders hummed at him, not raising his eyes from a small notebook he had been writing in. Solas rolled his eyes, and headed for his office. 

Over the course of the next few hours, Solas saw many different patients with a variety of ailments. More animal attacks, he noticed, than usual. He would have to figure out what that was all about… Though he thought he might have an idea, what with all of the people mentioning their “tamed” pet dracolisks.

As his shift was winding down, he headed into a small examination room for the last patient of the day. On the table sat a woman with short, shaggy black hair and heavy eye makeup. She wore a denim vest covered in spikes and patches, and she raised her eyebrows when she saw Solas enter.

“Sup, b? I thought Anders would be in.” She kicked her feet in front of her, her legs being too short to reach the ground.

“He’s gone home for the day.” Solas responded, heading to the wall to get a fresh pair of gloves. “What can I help you with today?” He turned to her, looking expectant. She sighed, and started to roll up the sleeve of her shirt from her wrist.

“I came in to get Anders to clean these for me again.” She said. Solas’ stomach churned as he saw her arm was covered entirely in small bite marks. There were at least twenty he could see on her forearm alone.

“What…” His brow furrowed in understanding. He glanced at the chart left on the table, and it clicked. “...You’re Hawke, I presume?”

“Ye- hey, no!” She responded, caught off guard. “I’m- well, uh… Here.” she fished in her pocket, and pulled out a worn ID card, handing it to Solas. He squinted his eyes. The picture was of another dark-haired person, the name reading CARVER HAWKE.

“This is your brother, I presume?” Solas sighed and handed the card back to her. “Fine. I’ll pretend I didn’t see that.” He mumbled, too tired to lecture her. “Several others with similar bites have come in mentioning your name.” He began, but was cut off quickly.

“Hey homeslice, my mouth isn’t that small!” she protested.

“You are correct on that point.” Solas replied sarcastically. “The beasts you are breeding, however-”

“Ugh!” She threw her arms up in exasperation. “This blows, spaghetti-o.”

Solas paused and turned to her. “Excuse me?”

Hawke took a deep breath, and forced a dramatic sigh. “So, here’s the poop, daddy-o.” She began. “I was just chillin’ with my homies, shootin’ the shit, yo, and then a dracolisk opened up a can of whoop-ass on me, and I was like, ‘bruh, what’s your beef?’, but it didn’t take the hint to scram, so I got hella bitten, yo. But- but not before I told it to eat my shorts and I skedaddled out of there!”

Solas put his hand to his forehead. He was unsure if her story was what made no sense, or if she had stopped speaking English entirely, but he decided to just let it go and treat her.

 

***

 

Forty-five minutes later, Solas was finally peeling off his gloves and leaving the hospital. As he left through the back entrance, he saw a crowd of people huddled out by the wall. 

“Shit, man, the Herald’s just gettin’ better and better!” he heard a voice say. He glanced over at the wall, and saw a very distinctive symbol spray painted on the brick. Great.

Solas pushed past the crowd to see the image. There was that damned eye- the artist’s signature, as it were. And, right next to it…

He sighed, and rubbed his temples. This was bad.

A gigantic hand, painted in black, stood out on the wall. The international symbol for the healers of Thedas. Instead of having the medical plus in the palm, however, there was a dollar sign that looked as though it was dripping. His eyes slid back over to the messily scrawled eye to the left of the piece. The Herald of Andraste. What a joke.

For the past year or so, the city of Haven had been plagued with the graffiti of a social-activist artist dubbed fondly by the citizens the “Herald of Andraste”, due to an incident in which the entirety of a chantry was covered in paintings overnight. Solas cringed at the memory. There were several depictions he would rather not have seen of Andraste engaged in lewd acts with the Knight-Commander. And… well, it seemed that they had struck again. He made a mental note to call the city cleanup and see when it would be removed. 

As he drove home, he thought of Shiva. He hoped she hadn’t left yet. She was still in no state to, and he didn’t feel like picking her up off of the sidewalk again. He gritted his teeth.

“I guess I’ll just have to see for myself.” he mumbled into the empty air, pulling his car into park along the curb. The light was still on in his window. Good.

He entered his home to see nothing out of place. His eyes scanned the hallway briefly before he had an excited dog nearly knock him over. Of course. Her dog was still here. He had nearly forgotten. He pushed her off of him gently, and headed to the living room. He groaned when he saw what was in front of him. 

Shiva was fast asleep, tangled up in his nice fur blanket, six feet away from the couch. On the floor. Solas nudged her to wake her, and she opened a sleepy eye at him and smiled broadly.

“Heeey, kiddo.” she slurred out at him. She lamely raised one hand, and made a finger-guns motion at him. She laughed at her own gesture, as though it was the funniest thing she had ever seen.

“What now?” Solas asked, exasperated. Shiva giggled, unmoving from the floor.

“I have to pee.” She drawled, trying to stand up. She tripped over the blanket as she was halfway standing, and ended up on the floor again.

“I see.” he said flatly, leaning down to help her up. “You have as much grace as a blind Halla.” he remarked bitterly.

Shiva blushed a deep red, and put both of her hands on Solas’ face affectionately.

“Thank you.” her eyes began to get glossy with tears. He certainly had not anticipated this reaction. He let go of her out of surprise, and she thudded on the floor.

“I’m- I’m sorry.” he apologized hurriedly, helping her up again. Her smile was still present, and she took his hands on her arms assisting her as an invitation for a hug. He stiffened as she wrapped her arms around him and breathed a gentle sigh into his neck. 

“I have to pee.” She repeated sleepily. Solas snapped out his surprised state, and led her gently to the bathroom. She steadied herself against the wall before she entered, and put her finger to her lips and winked at him before she closed the door behind her. He stood there momentarily, wondering if he should assist her out of the room. He glanced at the coffee table, and saw the pain medication sitting open.

“Of course.” he muttered under his breath, heading over to clean up.

It could be worse, he supposed, picking the blanket up off of the floor. He let a small smile creep over his lips at the thought of the goofy girl in the other room.


	9. Escape!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies if the formatting is inconsistent. This is.... Very... very late. Next chapter should be up within the next few days. c:

Shiva awoke in a daze the next morning. Her brain felt as though it was encased in a thick fog. Glancing over at the pill bottles on the table, she remembered why. Danyla nudged Shiva’s feet with her nose, noticing she was awake at last. She stretched her arms over her head as she yawned loudly, nearly knocking over a lamp behind her head. As she blinked away the sleep in her eyes, the memories of the previous night began to flood back to her.

The door to what she assumed was Solas’ room was ajar. Her cheeks burned with embarrassment as she remembered him leading her to the bathroom. After all of his kindness, she had to repay him by being a drugged up asshole. Great.

Her chest felt monumentally better. What was in that health poultice Solas made her drink? Whatever it was, it was clearly helping a lot. She hesitantly took a deep breath in, and noticed there was still a sharp ache in her lung, but she was relieved to know she could breathe comfortably once more. Shiva reached for the pill bottles and swallowed the appropriate amount with the last bit of water in her glass. With only half a mouthful left, she was left to taste the intense bitterness of the pills, and she shuddered. No more recreational drug use, at least not for now. 

Shiva moved to stand up, moving the silver blanket off of her. She felt wobbly on her feet, and she moved closer to the wall to steady herself. Each step forward had to be conscious and deliberate. She made her way slowly to the door ahead of her, making sure to tread lightly so as to not wake her dog, who was sleeping on the plush rug contentedly.

“Doctor?” Shiva tested when she reached the outside of the cracked door. Only silence met her as she waited for a response. She tentatively pushed the door open and peeked inside. 

There was no Solas to be found past the doorframe, but that didn’t stop Shiva’s curiosity from pushing her further inside. Tall bookshelves lined the walls of the small room filled with thick academic tomes, and there was an expensive looking desk pushed up against a window that overlooked the town below, with an equally expensive looking iMac upon it. She felt uncomfortable trespassing into what was clearly his private work room, but all of her apprehension was lost when she saw the sleek black turntable in the corner of the room.

The turntable had a very classic gramophone design, and Shiva would have mistaken it for an antique if not for its pristine condition. Several record sleeves sat out, and Shiva lifted them to get a taste of his musical sense. Bach. Why was she not surprised? She rolled her eyes as she sifted through more records. The Smiths, Adele, more classical music, and a few Radiohead albums were all she could find sitting out. Depressing. 

There was a single twin-sized bed pushed up against the wall. It looked as though no one had ever slept in it with how pristine it was made up. Shiva looked away, as though prolonged eye contact would wrinkle the perfect sheets. Is that where Solas slept? She pushed the thought from her mind, and focused on the desk again. What had caught her attention was a pad of lined paper sitting next to the computer. There was a fountain pen lying on top of it, uncapped and ready. 

“A letter...” Shiva pondered aloud. She didn’t want to take advantage of his good graces even further. Rather than continue to annoy the doctor, she’d prefer to treat herself at home. She didn’t know what his motivation was for bringing her here, anyhow. It’s true that the hospital was quite a distance from the curb outside of Isabela’s house that she had been bleeding on, but this still felt very unusual. Though she thought it unlikely that he meant to lock her in a murder-torture dungeon, she would rather be safe than sorry. The thoughts started to muddy in her mind. Ah. That must be the pain medication. Still, she pushed through it to try to maintain coherence. Shiva picked up the pen, and wrote a quick note to thank Solas for everything he had done for her.

At times, she felt her mind straying from her, and she had to find her place in the letter and continue. What should have taken one minute ended up taking twenty, and she looked upon the scribbled paper and cringed. Not her best work, but it’d have to do. She was feeling tired, and she wanted to get home. Signing her name and writing her phone number at the bottom was all she could manage, but she thought it would probably suffice.

“Danyla!” She called to the other room, turning off the light as she exited. The dog perked her ears as Shiva retrieved her bag from the floor and attempted to make the couch look made up once more, as it had likely been before she arrived. She eyed the pill bottles warily, and decided to take the antibiotic with her. The doctor was likely breaking rules already by giving her this medication outside of an official hospital visit. She’d prefer to not get him in any more trouble than necessary. 

“Phone, keys, wallet…” Shiva mumbled as she checked her pockets and bag. Ah. She would be late on rent this month, thanks to Isabela. What a nice reminder. She’d have to start planning her revenge soon.

Everything else seemed in order, however, and she beckoned to her dog as she climbed down the stairs to exit the home into the crisp cold air of a winter’s day.


End file.
